Patterning mechanism for multi-feed circular knitting machines and to a method of knitting on the same

ABSTRACT

A multi-feed circular knitting machine capable of producing multi-color jacquard patterns and &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;blister&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; fabrics and wherein the feeds are arranged in successive groups each of the same number. The section of the cam system at each of relevant feeds includes a jack raising cam acting upon operating butts of pivoted needle-actuating jacks left with their butts in radially outward positions as the result of selective action upon the jacks by pattern unit in advance of the jack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate height following the jack raising cam and into which the operating butts of the said jacks are directed by a downwardly sloping cam face; a re-setting cam at the leading end of said portion of cam track for outwardly moving the remaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of the pattern unit; and, following the resetting cam, a depressor cam automatically acting on the outer ends of the operating butts of the outwardly moved jacks at the aforesaid intermediate height or at a low height to depress these butts into the cylinder.

United States Patent 1 Harris PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR MULTI-FEEDCIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES AND TO A METHOD OF KNITTING ON THE SAMEInventor: Ronald Harris, Leicester, England Stibbe Machinery Limited,Leicester, England Filed: Mar. 22, 1971 Appl. No.: 126,720

Assignee:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1935 Deans et al. 66/50 B6/ 1939 McAdams 66/50 X 2,173,488 9/1939 Tandler et al 66/50 R 3,616,65411/1971 Llinas 66/42 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,147,706 4/1963Germany 66/50 B 1,230,961 12/1966 Germany 66/25 351,046 6/ 1931 GreatBritain 66/50 R July 10, 1973 1,206,225 9/1970 Great Britain 66/50 BPrimary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney-Larson, Taylor & Hinds 5 7ABSTRACT A multi-feed circular knitting machine capable of producingmulti-color jacquard patterns and blister fabrics and wherein the feedsare arranged in successive groups each of the same number. The sectionof the cam system at each of relevant feeds includes a jack raising camacting upon operating butts of pivoted needle-actuating jacks left withtheir butts in radially outward positions as the result of selectiveaction upon the jacks by pattern unit in advance of the jack raisingcam; a portion of cam track at an intemiediate height following the jackraising cam and into which the operating butts of the said jacks aredirected by a downwardly sloping cam face; a re-setting cam at theleading end of said portion of cam track for outwardly moving theremaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of thepattern unit; and, following the resetting cam, a depressor camautomatically acting on the outer ends of the operating butts of theoutwardly moved jacks at the aforesaid intermediate height or at a lowheight to depress these butts into the cylinder.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 32 l 19 3 l I 32 l 7 27 3 20 19 19 2 28 in27 t 20 8 "r" PATENTEUJL'U mm 3.744.275

sum 2 or 4 H0. 3.- I V v 15 15 A 1s 15 SHEEI3UF4 PATENTEBJUL 1 01915 YSHEET l 0F 4 PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR MULTI-FEED CIRCULAR KNITTINGMACHINES AND TO A METHOD OF KNITTING ON THE SAME This invention relatesto patterning mechanism for multi-feed circular knitting machines, andhas reference particularly to such mechanism of the general class havinga selective action upon individually operable needles or otherappropriate elements requiring to be controlled or influenced forproducing jacquard and other patterning effects in tubular knittedfabric.

The term multi-feed is intended to be sufficiently broad to cover acircular knitting machine having a few feeds only, although it isprimarily the intention to apply the invention to a so-called supermulti-feed machine having as many as, say 48 or more feeds.

In particular, the invention has reference to a patterning system of thekind including, in combination, (a) needle or other element-influencingjacks mounted beneath needles or associated elements in tricks in theneedle cylinder, the said jacks having thereon operating butts and, inaddition to being movable heightwise and controlled by cams acting onthe said butts for producing patterning effects, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles orother elements, and (b) pattern units at desired feeds, each of theseunits being adapted to exercise selective and individual control overthe pivoted needle or other element-influencing jacks, through themedium of associated patterning butts which are so disposed ordisposable in a multiplicity of planes as to enable the butts in any oneplane to be well spaced apart and are arranged to be selectively actedupon, e.g., pressed in towards the cylinder axis, by each pattern unitin turn.

The term associated patterning butts is used herein in a generic senseto cover not only the more usual case in which the said butts areprovided upon appropriately displaceable selector members separate fromthe aforementioned pivoted needle or other element-influencing jacks,but also a case in which the patterning butts are on the said jacksthemselves.

In any event, a patterning system of the kind concerned has heretoforerequired the provision of a pattern unit at every feed of the machine.

Such a unit may, for instance, consist of a rotary drum furnished eitherwith pins or with protuberant teeth in superimposed planes for action onthe patterning butts either directly, or through the medium of a bank ofintermediate slides or pivoted levers disposed in the same planes.

Alternatively, each of the pattern units may consist of a stack or pileof rotary discs formed with predetermined set-outs of peripheral teethfor action upon patterning butts in the different planes, the unit beingdriven in timed relation with the needle cylinder, and the teeth actingon the patterning butts suchwise as to press in selected selectormembers or associated selector presser jacks and thus effect inwardradial movements of the pivoted needle or other elementinfluencing jacksinto their tracks. In this alternative, each rotary pattern unit may befixed so far as any movement thereof towards and away from the selectormembers or the associated presser jacks, as the case may be, isconcerned. Where the arrangement includes presser jacks these would havepatterning butts initially at one level in which instance variablepresser jack moving means would be provided for shifting the presserjacks longitudinally upwards and downwards to disposed their singlepatterning butts opposite to radial teeth in predetermined ones of therelevant planes.

'Again, each patterning unit may alternatively comprise a bank ofelectro-magnetically operable members controlled from a pattern tape,e.g., through the medium of light responsive devices.

The elements of the machine to be controlled or influenced by thepatterning mechanism of this invention will usually be eitherindependent slidable needles, or associated sliders, although there isno limitation in this respect. But for convenience in the followingfurther description the elements will hereinafter be referred to asneedles, the purpose of the patterning system in this case being todetermine the manner in which predetermined needles operate at relevantfeeds at desired times, e.g., as to whether such needles clear and knit,miss 0r tuck, according to patterning requirements.

Moreover, although the invention is primarily applicable to multi-feedcircular knitting machines of the rotary needle cylinder type with arelatively stationary cam box, it would be possible to apply it to arotary cam box type of machine with a stationary cylinder.

It is primarily the intention to apply the present invention to aspecific system wherein intermediate pivoted needle-actuating jacks aredisposed immediately beneath the needles in the same tricks and areformed with downwardly extending tails which are permanently engaged insuitably forked upper ends of selector members in the form of swivellingpresser jacks furnished with the patterning butts in the desiredmultiplicity of planes for direct action upon by the pattern units. Inthis way, the selector members dictate the pivotal radial inward andoutward movements of the intermediate needle-actuating jacks so thattheir operating butts are moved out of and into the path of the jackactuating cams respectively.

The principle of operation of a patterning system of the kind hereinreferred to, with respect to the production of multi-color jacquardpatterns, is that the needles which knit at the first feed of a group ofsuccessive feeds corresponding in number to the number of differentcolors to be knitted, do not knit at the succeeding feed or feeds of thegroup, and those that knit at the second feed do not knit at the firstand at the remaining feed or feeds, and so on where necessary, theneedles which did not knit at the first, the second etc. feeds knittingat the last feed of the group, this operational sequence being thereuponrepeated around the knitting machine. For example, in three-colorjacquard patterning to which this description will be mainly confined,the needles which knit at the first of a group of three successive feedsdo not knit at the second and third feeds of the group, whilst thosethat knit at the second feed do not knit at the first and third feeds,the needles which did not knit at the first and second feeds knitting atthe third feed. The system generally adopted is to raise the requiredneedles to knit at the first feed at the dictates of a pattern unit;then to return these needles to a non-knitting height; to select theneedles required to knit at the second feed by another pattern unit andthen to return these needles to the non-knitting height; next to selectdesired needles to knit at the third feed by yet another pattern unitand so on if more than three colors are required.

Such a system, necessitating one pattern unit to every feed, is verycostly to set up, especially on a high production machine having as manyas 48 or more feeds. For instance, in a case where each pattern unitcomprises a rotary stack or pile of peripherally cut discs, there may beinvolved as many as two thousand discs each of which must beindividually cut to the required pattern. Manifestly, any substantialsaving in the number of pattern discs required, by a reduction in thenumber of pattern units necessary, constitute a significant saving intime and labor and hence also in maintenance of simplified machines.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide, ina multi-feed jacquard circular knitting machine equipped with apatterning system of the kind concerned, improved cam systems for actionupon the pivoted needle-actuating jacks and designed to reduce thenumber of pattern units required without detriment to the patterningcapabilities of the machine.

Another object is to provide to the same end an improved method ofoperating such a knitting machine.

it is, however, to be clearly understood that the cam means and thegeneral operational method of this invention for reducing the number ofpattern units needed are, within the broad scope of the invention, alsoapplicable to the production of patterns other than jacquard, e.g.,multi-color jacquard, patterns. For example, they can be adopted whenproducing so-Called blister fabric. Basically, the production of ablister fabricinvolves a selection which is repeated at one or morefeeds of a group of successive feeds followed by a reversal of suchselection for the next one or more feeds. i

The cam system of the machine encircling the knitting head includes, ateach feed, a clearing cam and a stitch cam, the feeds being arrangedaround. the machine in successive groups each of the same number so asto be capable of producing repetitions of the same patterning cycle orsequence. A characteristic distinguishing feature of the method ofknitting according to this invention is that, at each of relevant feeds,pivoted needle-actuating jacks which are permitted to have theiroperating butts in radially outward positions, by selective action of apattern unit, are first raised to raise corresponding needles to anoperative position and thereupon immediately lowered to an intermediateheight at which the said operating butts can be automatically depressedinto the needle cylinder to render such jacks inactive, and wherein justprior to this depression 'of operating butts the remainingneedleactuating jacks, previously moved inwardly by the selective actionof the aforesaid pattern unit, are re-set to positions wherein theiroperating butts are radially outwards.

To this end the cam system of the machine is furnished, at each ofrelevant feeds, with a jack raising cam adapted for action upon theoperating butts of those pivoted needle-actuating jacks which are leftwith their butts in radially outward positions as the result ofselective action upon the jacks by a pattern unit located in advance ofsaid jack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate heightimmediately following the jack raising cam and into which the operatingbutts of said jacks are directed by a downwardly sloping cam face; are-setting cam at the leading end of the said portion of cam track foreffecting outward movement of the remaining jacks previously movedinwardly by the selective action of the aforesaid pattern unit; and,following the re-setting cam, a jack depressing cam either at the sameintermediate height as the aforementioned portion of cam track or at alow height, the said jack depressor cam being adapted to automaticallyact on the outer ends of the operating butts of the outwardly movedjacks at the said intermediate low height suchwise as to depress thesebutts into the cylinder.

The arrangement of a jack depressor cam or cams in a portion of the camsystem of the machine relating to a group of successive feeds will, ofcourse, depend on the nature of the patterning to be produced.

In any event, by the adoption of the broadly described method ofknitting and the improved cam system according to this invention it ispossible to produce jacquard patterned knitted fabric with a less numberof pattern units than heretofore ln a convenient method of knitting toproduce threecolor jacquard patterning on a machine equipped with forkedselector members in the form of swivelling presser jacks as aforesaid, afirst pattern unit operates on the selector members to permit theoperating butts of predetermined ones of the pivoted needle-actuatingjacks to be in their radially outward positions as a consequence ofwhich selected needles are raised to clearing height preparatory toknitting at the first feed of a group of three consecutive feeds; thesaid needleactuating jacks are then lowered to an intermediate height atwhich they are rendered inactive by depressing them into their tricks sothat the operating butts are in their radially inward positions, theremaining needleactuating jacks passing at a low height; a secondpattern unit thereupon operates on the patterning butts of desired onesof the swivelling presser jacks, thereby enabling the pivotedneedle-actuating jacks corresponding to the remainder of the swivellingpresser jacks not so operated on to raise needles required to knit atthe second feed of the group; the last mentioned needleactuating jacksare next lowered to an intermediate height at which they are renderedinactive by depressing them into their tricks, the remainingneedleactuating jacks passing at a low height at which they can beraised by a jack raising cam so that at the third feed of the group thecorresponding needles automatically knit; finally all of theneedle-actuating jacks are returned to the low height preparatory tocommencement of a repeated knitting cycle.

Expressed in more specific terms, the last described method ofthree-color jacquard patterning is as follows:

After having been selectively raised to clearing height and thenimmediately brought down to run at an intermediate height, the operatingbutt of each of the selected pivoted needle-actuating jacks is depressedbelow the outer surface of the needle cylinder so that these selectedjacks then take no further active part until the next pattern cycle. Onthe other hand, the unselected needle-actuating jacks are moved outwardsby the action of a draw-out cam on the corresponding selector members(swivelling presser jacks) so that the operating butts of the saidunselected jacks will be controlled by control cams whilst the operatingbutts of a predetermined ones of the unselected jacks will be pushedback into the cylinder again by the corresponding swivelling selectormembers under the influence of a pattern unit. The now outwardlydisposed needleactuating jacks will be raised to cause their needles toknit and then lowered again to the intermediate level at which a jackdepressor cam will act on the operating butts of said jacks to push themin. As a result, the last mentioned jacks will not be raised at the nextfeed. The jacks previously left in by the pattern unit will now be swungout by action of a draw-out cam upon the corresponding selector membersand raised by a jack-raising cam so that the corresponding, i.e.,remaining, needles knit at the next feed. Subsequently, all of theneedles and their actuating jacks are lowered to their nonknitting andselecting heights respectively in preparation for the next jacquardpatterning cycle.

The various control cams may, if desired, be made readily withdrawableto facilitate changing from one pattern to another; similarly, thepattern units may be easily movable from one position to another.

In making fabric known as double blister by repeated three-feedcycles,.one pattern unit would be sufficient to enable desired needlesto knot both at the first and at the second feeds, and the remainingneedles to knit at the third feed. Thus, a saving of two completepattern units in respect of each group of three feeds can in this casebe made.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readilycarried into practical effect, specific constructional examples thereofwill now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein,

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the needle cylinder and cambox of a circular knitting machine showing a needle, a needle-actuatingjack and an associated selector member immediately prior to a selection,

FIG. 2 is another vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showingthe needle, jack and selector member as they appear after a selectionhas been made,

FIG. 3 is a developed view, from the inside, of three sections of thecam box of the machine with cams set in position for three colorjacquard, associated pattern units also being shown,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a typical layout of a cambox with cams set for producing double blister fabric,

FIGS. 5 and 6 are vertical sectional views taken respectively on thelines V V and VI VI of FIG. 3 and showing the mechanisms by whichrelevant ones of the cams are manually adjustable heightwise.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the needle cylinder is indicated at 10, whereas theannular cam box surrounding the same is represented at 11. The cylinder10 is formed in known manner with a circular series of tricks 10a ineach of which are accommodated and longitudinally slidable anindependent knitting needle 12 of the latch type, a selector member 13in the form of a swivelling presser jack, and a correspondingintermediate needleactuating jack 14. Each knitting needle 12 isprovided with a butt 12a which is guided generally by cams 15, 16, 17and 18.

Each intermediate jack 14 is furnished with an operating butt 14a whichis guided generally by earns 19 and 20. A downwardly extending tail 14bat the lower end of each intermediate jack I4 is permanently engagedbetween two prongs of a forked upper end 13a of the correspondingswivelling presser jack 13.

Behind each intermediate needle-actuating jack 14 there is provided atthe back or bottom of the corresponding cylinder trick 10a an insert 21.At its upper extremity such insert is formed with an inwardly directedprotuberance 21a which is located on a shoulder 10b provided on thecylinder 10. All the inserts 21 of the circular series are firmly heldin position by an annular rib which projects downwardly from an uppercylinder component 10 for engagement in recesses in the upper ends ofthe trick inserts 21. The lower portion of each trick insert 21 isrelieved at 21b by virtue of being reduced in width but terminates in anoutwardly directed projection 21c upon which an inwardly directed button the corresponding intermediate jack 14 locates at relevant times aswill be hereinafter described. Each intermediate needle-actuating jack14 is pivotable about a fulcrum lobe 144d formed'at its upper extremity,this lobe bearing upon the front edge 21d of the upper full-widthportion of the associated trick insert 21. Immediately below its fulcrumlobe 14d, each jack 14 is additionally furnished with an outwardlydirected butt 14:: so arranged as to enable it to locate between theunderside of a thin horizontal cam 22 and the cam 19 of a section of thecam system at each feed of the machine.

The lower extremity of each swivelling presser jack 13 is pivotallyseated in the cylinder 10, the tricks 10a formed in the latter beingrelieved behind these presser jacks. On its outwardly facing edge eachswivelling presser jack 13 is formed with a patterning butt 13b disposedat one of a multiplicity of heights as is quite common for selectormembers used in circular knitting machines. A stack of selector discs,slides or levers denoted generally at 25, operate on the patterningbutts 13b in well known manner. Whenever one of the discs, slides orlever 23 contacts a patterning butt 13b the relevant swivelling presserjack 13 is pushed back and so pulls with it the correspondingintermediate jack 14 so that its operating butt 14a is withdrawn intothe needle cylinder 10 so as not to be acted on by cams 19, as shown inFIG. 2.

In order to reset the swivelling presser jacks 13, by swinging themoutwards in readiness for the next selection, there is provided adraw-out cam 24 arranged to operate on vertical extensions 13c of thepresser jacks 13.

In FIG. 3 are shown the cam box sections at three successive feeds,these sections, which include the knitting stations at'the said feeds,being generally designated A, B and C. These will now be described withspecific reference to the production of a 3-color jacquard pattern, itbeing understood that successive groups of sections A, B and C arespaced right around the knitting head of the machine. The cams forcontrolling the needles 12 are duplicated at each knitting station; itwill accordingly only be necessary to describe one of the systems. Itwill, moreover, be noted that each cam box section is identical with itsneighbors: this is to ensure that it is not necessary to change a numberof cam box sections when changing from one jacquard pattern to another,e.g., from three color to four color jacquard.

The needles 12 which are not acted upon by intermediate needle-actuatingjacks 14 are controlled by virtue of their butts 12a first travellingalong the upper edge of cam 18 in section A in a horizontal path andonly being lower slightly at the end of section A by the bottom ofstitch cam 16. On the other hand, the needles 12 which are acted on andpushed up by corresponding intermediate jacks 14 are controlled by theirbutts 12a being raised to a level to land them on to the leading edge ofclearing cam 17 in section A. The said butts then rise up cam 17 and arethereafter lowered by portion 152 of cam and stitch cam 16. At the endof cam box section A, the needle butts 12a are presented to the leadingedge of the cam 18 in section B to be passed between the last mentionedcam and the cam 15 in the same section B ready for the next selection.

The operation of the intermediate needle-actuating jacks 14 which arecontrolled in their longitudinal movements by cams acting on operatingbutts 14a will now be described. The intermediate jacks 14 in advance ofcam box section A, are all initially at their low height with theirbutts 14a supported on the upper edge of a cam 25 (see FIG. 3). At thisposition predetermined ones of the intermediate jacks 14 are pressedinto their tricks 10a so that their butts 14a are no longer influencedby the relevant jack cams. This is achieved by relevant selector discs,slides or levers 23 of the first pattern unit PU acting on thepatterning butts 13b of the corresponding swivelling presser jacks 13 asa consequence of which the upper forked ends 13a of the said jacks andhence also the tails 14b of the corresponding intermediate jacks 14 aredepressed, i.e., swung radially inwards.

The intermediate jacks 14 which are depressed in this way are not actedon by any cams and travel horizontally at the low height, with theirupper butts 14:: located between the underside of the thin horizontalcam 22 and the upper face of cam 19 in section A until a further patternselection is made this time by selector discs, slides or levers of asecond pattern unit PU. These jacks will, of course, continue to travelhorizontally at this low height if they-are again depressed at thesecond pattern unit PU. One of the draw-out earns 24 is located betweenthe pattern units PU and PU for action on the upward extensions 13c ofinwardly swung presser jacks 13, this cam being chamfered at its leadingedge and thus serving to pull out all the previously inwardly swungswivelling jacks 13 and associated depressed intermediate jacks 14 inpreparation for reselection by the second pattern unit PU.

Those intermediate needle-actuating jacks 14 which are not depressed byselective action of the first pattern unit PU rise up the leading edgeof cam 20 in section A to correspondingly raise their respective needles12 to clearing height and are then lowered by lowering face 19a of cam19 to an intermediate level at which the upper butts Me of the saidjacks locate upon the top first of the cam 22 and then of a thin landingcam 26 in section A. The operating butts 14a of these nondepressedintermediate jacks 14 then pass in front of a depressor cam 27 in thesection A which has a chamfered leading edge 27a for action on the outerends of the butts 14a in order to depress the jacks 14 after theremaining previously depressed intermediate jacks 14 have been pulledout by the action of draw-out cam 24 in the section A on the upwardextensions 13c of the corresponding presser jacks 13. The butts 140 ofthe intermediate jacks l4 depressed by the depressor cam 27 in thesection A are located on to the outwardly directed projections 210 ofthe corresponding trick inserts 21: in this way the jacks 14 which arerequired to remain at the intermediate level are positively preventedfrom sliding down. The last mentioned jacks then travel along ahorizontal path until they are again pulled out, this time by the actionof the draw-out cam 24 in the cam box section B on the upward extensions130 of the corresponding swivelling presser jacks 13.

The tails 14b of the intermediate jacks 14 which are at the low levelare not acted on by swivelling presser jacks 13 at the dictates of thesecond pattern unit PU those intermediate jacks 14 which are notdepressed riding up the leading edge of cam 20 in cam box section B toraise their respective needles 12 to clearing height.

The intermediate jacks 14 which are depressed at this stage again travela horizontal path and are pulled out again by the draw-out cam 24 in thesection B acting on the upward extensions 13c of the relevant swivellingpresser jacks 13 in the same fashion as that described with reference todraw-out cam in the section A. The last mentioned jacks are thereuponautomatically raised by the cam 20 in the section C, no pattern unitbeing required here as these remaining intermediate jacks and respectiveneedles are the ones which have not previously been raised to clearingheight.

The butts 14a of the intermediate needle-actuating jacks 14 which wereraised to clearing height by the cam 20 in the section B are thenlowered by the lowering face 19a of cam 19 in the same section so thatthe upper butts Me of said jacks locate upon the top first of the cam 22and then of the landing cam 26 in section B so that these jacks join thejacks 14 which are already travelling in a horizontal path at anintermediate height. All these intermediate needle-actuating jacks 14then have their butts 14a depressed by the depressor cam 27 in the cambox section B from whence they travel along a horizontal path and arepulled out again by the action of a draw-out cam 24 in section C on theupward extensions 13c of the corresponding swivelling jacks 13. I

In order that a fresh jacquard selection can be made on the next groupof three feeds, the now exposed operating butts 14a of the lastmentioned needle-actuating jacks 14 are contacted and lowered by anadditional and vertically movable lowering cam 28 which is associatedwith the cam 19 in the cam box section C, the said lowering cam togetherwith the thin horizontal landing cam 26 immediately above it, being setin an operative lowered position.

The immediate needle-actuating jacks 14 which were raised by the cam 20in the section C are afterwards lowered by the operative lowering cam 28in the same section to join the remaining intermediate jacks 14 at thelow level in preparation for the next three-feed cycle of jacquardpatterning.

The trailing edges 20a of the upstanding portions of the cams 20 in thecam box section A, B and C are, as shown, chamfered to allow thedraw-out earns 24 in the three sections to pull-out the swivellingpresser jacks 13 and the intermediate needle-actuating jacks 14 as earlyas possible.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that threejacquard pattern selections are effected with the use of only twopattern units. Likewise, when producing four-color jacquard pattern, itis only necessary to use three pattern units. That is to say, whenproducing a jacquard pattern of any number of colors it is possible touse a number of pattern units one less than the number of colors.

There is an additional vertically movable lowering cam 28 associatedwith the cam 19 in each of the three cam box sections A, B and C. Eachsuch lowering cam is movable from an inoperative raised position inwhich it is located within a recess 19b in the associated cam 19 (seesections A and B in FIG. 3) to its operative lowered position below thecam 19 (see section C, FIG. 3). The additional lowering cam 28 and thethin horizontal landing cam 26 in each cam box section are providedtogether upon and thus connected by a common slide 29 vertically movablewithin the cam box 11. This slide, shown in FIG. 6, is adapted to be setin either of its two positions by means of a manually operableknurledheaded screw 30. A vertical slot 31 allows the screw 30 to bepassed through the cam box 11 for screwing into the slide 29 and alsopermits the latter to be moved vertically.

In a similar way, the depressor cam 27 in each of the three cam boxsections A, B and C and a guard cam 32 arranged immediately above it (toprevent wandering of the intermediate jacks 14) are provided togetherupon and connected by a common slide 33 which is vertically movablewithin the cam box 11. This slide, shown in FIG. 5, can be set with theearns 27 and 32 either in raised positions (see all sections, FIG. 3 andsections E and F, FIG. 4) or in lowered positions (see section D, FIG.4). A manually operable knurled-headed screw 34, which extends through avertical slot 35 in the cam box and is screwed into the slide 33,enables the latter to be set in either of its two positions.

In FIG. 6 there are shown at 36 the manually operable screw means bywhich each of the clearing earns 17 can be projected into or retractedfrom its operative position.

The production of a double blister fabric in accordance with theprinciples of this invention will now be described with reference toFIG. 4. The needles 12, the intermediate needle-actuating jacks 14 andthe swivelling presser jacks 13 are all as previously described withreference to FIGS. 1 and 2 for making jacquard patterned fabric. In FIG.4, however, the three successive cam box sections are designated D, Eand F.

Initially, a pattern selection is made by a pattern unit PU locatedimmediately in advance of section D which unit dictates which of theswivelling jacks l3 and hence corresponding intermediate jacks 14 are tobe depressed and which not. The butts 14a of the intermediate jacks 14which are not depressed are first raised up the leading edge of cam 20in section D, then lowered by the lowering edge 19a of cam 19 in thesame section whereupon they travel at an intermediate height, up theleading edge of cam 20 in section E and down the edge 19a of cam 19 insection E. These non-depressed intermediate jacks 14 travel horizontallyat this intermediate level until the outer ends of their butts 14a aredepressed by a depressor cam 27 in section E so that said butts continuein a horizontal path behind cam 20 in section F without being raisedthereby. Thereafter, cam 24 in section F acts to pull out all of thejacks 14 in order that their butts 14a may contact and be lowered by theadditional lowering cam 28 in section F which last mentioned cam is setin its lower position. Thus, to ensure that the first selection made atPU is maintained for two feeds, the intermediate jacks are brought downto the intermediate height and are not acted upon by the depressor cam27 in section D which in this instance is, together with the associatedguard cam 32, in

. 6 its lower position. The operating butts 14a therefore re-establishcontact with earns 20 and are raised again by the cam 20 in cam boxsection E.

The intermediate jacks 14 which were initially depressed by selectiveaction of the pattern unit PU travel horizontally behind earns 20 insections D and E without being raised thereby until the draw-out cam 24in section E operates on upward extensions 13c of the correspondingswivelling presser jacks 13 to pull out these intermediate jacks 14. Thedraw-out cam 24 both in Section D and in Section E operates on all theswivelling presser jacks 13 to pull all of these out. On the other hand,at Section D the depressor cam 27 pushes back those intermediate jacks14 which were initially depressed, whereas at E the cam 27 acts on andpushes back the remaining intermediate jacks 14 which were initiallyraised. The latter thereupon continue horizontally until their butts 14aare raised by cam 20 in section F and subsequently lowered by theadditional lowering cam 28 in the same section.

From the above description it will be appreciated that with the use ofonly one pattern unit such as PU predetermined ones of the needles aretwice raised to clear and knit whilst the remaining needles are onlyraised to clearing height once. Moreover, any type of jacquard patternor blister pattern can be set-up simply by appropriate adjustments ofthe heightwise positions of the depressor cams 27 and the lowering cams28 and suitable changes in the pattern units.

In the illustrated arrangements all the cams at any one knitting sectionare duplicated at another, this requiring several adjustable cams whichsimplify and expedite pattern changing.

I claim:

1. A method of knitting to produce a color jacquard patterning on amulti-feed circular knitting machine equipped with a patterning systemincluding, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needles operatingin the tricks in said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, with operatingbutts, mounted beneath the needles in the cylinder; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising selectiveand individual control over the pivoted needle-actuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through which the latterare controlled, said patterning butts being so arranged as to beselectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by each pattern unit inturn: the method being characterized in that at each of relevant feedspivoted needle-actuating jacks which are permitted to have theiroperating butts in radially outward positions, by selective action of apattern unit, are first raised to raise corresponding needles to anoperative position and thereupon immediately lowered to an intermediateheight at which the said operating butts can be automatically depressedinto the needle cylinder to render such jacks inactive, and in that justprior to this depression of operating butts the remainingneedleactuating jacks, previously moved inwardly by the selective actionof the aforesaid pattern unit, are re-set to positions wherein theiroperating butts areradially outwards,

said needle-actuating jacks being intermediate pivoted needle-actuatingjacks furnished with the operating butts and with tails; selectormembers in the form of swivelling presser jacks which have forked upperends in which said tails are engaged and are furnished with thepatterning butts; and a jack raising cam for action upon the operatingbutts of those intermediate pivoted needle-actuating jacks which areleft with their operating butts in radially outward positions as theresult of selective action which causes the intermediate pivoted needleactuating jacks to be operated by means of a pattern unit located inadvance of said jack raising cam, said method being furthercharacterized in that a first pattern unit operates selectively on theswivelling presser jacks to permit the operating butts of predeterminedones of the intermediate pivoted needle-actuating jacks to be in theirradially outward positions as a consequence of which the correspondingneedles are raised to clearing height preparatory to knitting at thefirst of at least two consecutive feeds; the said intermediate pivotedneedle-actuating jacks are then lowered to an intermediate height atwhich they are rendered inactive by depressing them into their tricks sothat their operating butts are in radially inward positions, theremaining intermediate pivoted needleactuating jacks passing at a lowheight at which they can be raised by a jack raising cam so that at thenext feed the corresponding needles automatically knit; the methodincluding the step of finally returning all of the intermediate pivotedneedleactuating jacks to the low heights preparatory to commencement ofa repeated knitting cycle,

and wherein those intermediate pivoted needleactuating jacks which atany feed pass at a low height are drawn out to position their operatingbutts radially outwards by virtue of the corresponding presser jacksbeing acted upon and drawn out.

2. A method of knitting similar to that specified in claim 1 butextended to the production of multi-color jacquard patterning comprisingmore than two colors on successive groups each of more than two feedsand using in conjunction with each of such feed group, a number ofpattern units one less than the said number of colors.

3. A multi-feed circular knitting machine wherein the feeds are arrangedaround the machine in successive groups each of the same number so as tobe capable of producing repetitions of the same patterning cycle, andwhich includes, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needlesoperating in the tricks in said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, withoperating butts, mounted beneath the said needles; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising selectiveand individual control over the pivoted needleactuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through the medium ofwhich the latter are controlled, said patterning butts being so arrangedas to be selectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by eachpattern unit in turn: the said machine being characterized in that thesection of the cam system at each of relevant feeds, includes, inaddition to a clearing cam and a stitch cam, a jack raising cam adaptedfor action upon the operating butts of those pivoted needle-actuatingjacks which are left with their butts in radially outward positions asthe result of selective action which causes the needle-actuating jacksto be operated by means of a pattern unit located in advance of saidjack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate heightimmediately following the jack raising cam and into which the operatingbutts of the said jacks can be directed; a downwardly sloping cam facefor so directing the said butts; a re-setting cam at the leading end ofthe said portion of cam track for effecting outward movement of theremaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of theaforesaid pattern unit; and, following the re-setting cam, a jackdepressor cam either at the same intermediate height as theaforementioned portion of cam track or at a low. height, the said jackdepressor cam being adapted to automatically act on the outer ends ofthe operating butts of the outwardly moved jacks at the saidintermediate or low height suchwise as to depress these butts into thecylinder,

and wherein said needle-actuating jacks are intermediate pivotedneedle-actuating jacks which are disposed directly beneath the needlesin the same cylinder tricks and are provided with tails engaged inforked upper ends of selector members in the form of swivelling presserjacks furnished with said patterning butts for direct action upon by thepattern units, wherein the re-setting cam in each corresponding sectionof the cam system is in the form of a draw-out cam arranged to act onextensions of the swivelling presser jacks.

4. A multi-feed circular knitting machine wherein the feeds are arrangedaround the machine in successive groups each of the same number so as tobe capable of producing repetitions of the same patterning cycle, andwhich includes, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needlesoperating in the tricks of said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, withoperating butts, mounted beneath the said needles; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising selectiveand individual control over the pivoted needleactuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through'the medium ofwhich the latter are controlled, said patterning butts being so arrangedas to be selectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by eachpattern unit in turn: the said machine being characterized in that thesection of the cam system at each of relevant feeds, includes, inaddition to a clearing cam and a stitch cam, a jack raising cam adaptedfor action upon the operating butts of those pivoted needle-actuatingjacks which are left with their butts in radially outward positions asthe result of selective action which causes the needle-actuating jacksto be operated by means of a pattern unit located in advance of saidjack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate heightimmediately following the jack raising cam and into which the operatingbutts of the said jacks can be directed; a downwardly sloping cam facefor so directing the said butts; a re-setting cam at the leading end ofthe said portion of cam track for effecting outward movement of theremaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of theaforesaid pattern unit; and, following the re-setting cam, a jackdepressor cam either at the same intermediate height as theaforementioned portion of cam track or at a low height, the said jackdepressor being adapted to automatically act on the outer ends of theoperating butts of the outwardly moved jacks at the said intermediate orlow height suchwise as to depress these butts into the cylinder,

and wherein a lowering cam located above the jack raising cam in eachcorresponding section of the cam system is provided with the downwardlysloping cam face for action upon outwardly positioned operating butts orrelevant pivoted needleactuating jacks to lower the latter to theintermediate height, and there is provided above the said lowering cam ahorizontal landing cam on to which can be landed upper outwardlydirected butts on those needle-actuating jacks whose operating butts,previously lifted by the raising cam, have been acted upon by theaforesaid downwardly sloping cam face, a space being provided betweenthe lower face of the landing cam and the upper face of the lowering camto receive and locate heightwise the said upper butts ofneedle-actuating jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective actionof a pattern unit located in advance of the jack raising cam.

5. A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 4, whereineach corresponding section of the cam system also includes an auxiliarylowering cam for action upon operating butts of the pivotedneedleactuating jacks, said auxiliary lowering cam being displaceableheightwise from an upper inoperative position to a lower operativeposition in which it provides a downward extension of the downwardlysloping cam face on the main lowering cam above the jack raising cam,for the purpose described.

6. A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 5, whereinthe auxiliary lowering cam in each corresponding section of the camsystem and an associated horizontal landing cam disposed directly aboveit are both provided on a common vertically displaceable slide, the saidlanding cam, whenever the auxiliary cam is in its raised inoperativeposition, being at the same lever as and constituting an extension ofthe said landing cam.

7. A multi-feed circular knitting machine wherein the feeds are arrangedaround the machine in successive groups each of the same number so as tobe capable of producing repetitions of the same patterning cycle, andwhich includes, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needlesoperating in the tricks in said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, withoperating butts, mounted beneath the said needles; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising selectiveand individual control over the pivoted needleactuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through the medium ofwhich the latter are controlled, said patterning butts being so arrangedas to be selectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by eachpattern unit in turn: the said machine being characterized in that thesection of the cam system at each of relevant feeds, includes, inaddition to a clearing cam and a stitch cam, a jack raising cam adaptedfor action upon the operating butts of those pivoted needle-actuatingjacks which are left with their butts in radially outward positions asthe result of selective action which causes the needle-actuating jacksto be operated by means of a pattern unit located in advance of saidjack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate heightimmediately following the jack raising cam and into which the operatingbutts of the said jacks can be directed; a downwardly sloping cam facefor so directing the said butts; a re-setting cam at the leading end ofthe said portion of cam track for effecting outward movement of theremaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of theaforesaid pattern unit; and, following the re-setting cam, a jackdepressor cam either at the same intermediate height as theaforementioned portion of cam track or at a low height, the said jackdepressor cam being adapted to automatically act on the outer ends ofthe operating butts of the outwardly moved jacks at the saidintermediate or low height suchwise as to depress these butts into thecylinder,

and wherein each of the pivoted needle-actuating jacks is also furnishedwith an inwardly directed butt which is adapted, whenever the jack ismoved inwardly by action upon its operating butt of a jack depressor camat the intermediate height, to locate upon an outwardly directedprojection providedon an insert secured in and at the back of thecorresponding cylinder trick behind the needleactuating jack.

8. A multi-feed circular knitting machine wherein the feeds are arrangedaround the machine in successive groups each of the same number so as tobe capable of producing repetitions of the same patterning cycle, andwhich includes, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needlesoperating in the tricks in said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, withoperating butts, mounted beneath the said needles; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising selectiveand individual control over the pivoted needleactuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through the medium ofwhich the latter are controlled,said patterning butts being so arrangedas to be selectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by eachpattern unit in turn: the said machine being characterized in that thesection of the cam system at each of relevant feeds, includes, inaddition to a clearing cam and a stitch cam, a jack raising cam adaptedfor action upon the operating butts of those pivoted needle-actuatingjacks which are left with their butts in radially outward positions asthe result of selective action which causes the needle-actuating jacksto be operated by means of a pattern unit located in advance of saidjack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate heightimmediately following the jack raising cam and into which the operatingbutts of the said jacks can be directed; a downwardly sloping cam facefor so directing the'said butts; a re-setting cam at the leading end ofthe said portion of cam track for effecting outward movement of theremaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of theaforesaid sponding section of the cam system is movable verticallydownwards to a position below the portion of cam track at theintermediate height. 9. A multi-feed circular knitting machine accordingto claim 8, wherein the jack depressor cam and a guard cam disposedimmediately above it are both provided on a common verticallydisplaceable slide.

1. A method of knitting to produce a color jacquard patterning on amulti-feed circular knitting machine equipped with a patterning systemincluding, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needles operatingin the tricks in said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, with operatingbutts, mounted beneath the needles in the cylinder; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising seLectiveand individual control over the pivoted needle-actuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through which the latterare controlled, said patterning butts being so arranged as to beselectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by each pattern unit inturn: the method being characterized in that at each of relevant feedspivoted needle-actuating jacks which are permitted to have theiroperating butts in radially outward positions, by selective action of apattern unit, are first raised to raise corresponding needles to anoperative position and thereupon immediately lowered to an intermediateheight at which the said operating butts can be automatically depressedinto the needle cylinder to render such jacks inactive, and in that justprior to this depression of operating butts the remainingneedle-actuating jacks, previously moved inwardly by the selectiveaction of the aforesaid pattern unit, are re-set to positions whereintheir operating butts are radially outwards, said needle-actuating jacksbeing intermediate pivoted needleactuating jacks furnished with theoperating butts and with tails; selector members in the form ofswivelling presser jacks which have forked upper ends in which saidtails are engaged and are furnished with the patterning butts; and ajack raising cam for action upon the operating butts of thoseintermediate pivoted needle-actuating jacks which are left with theiroperating butts in radially outward positions as the result of selectiveaction which causes the intermediate pivoted needleactuating jacks to beoperated by means of a pattern unit located in advance of said jackraising cam, said method being further characterized in that a firstpattern unit operates selectively on the swivelling presser jacks topermit the operating butts of predetermined ones of the intermediatepivoted needle-actuating jacks to be in their radially outward positionsas a consequence of which the corresponding needles are raised toclearing height preparatory to knitting at the first of at least twoconsecutive feeds; the said intermediate pivoted needle-actuating jacksare then lowered to an intermediate height at which they are renderedinactive by depressing them into their tricks so that their operatingbutts are in radially inward positions, the remaining intermediatepivoted needle-actuating jacks passing at a low height at which they canbe raised by a jack raising cam so that at the next feed thecorresponding needles automatically knit; the method including the stepof finally returning all of the intermediate pivoted needle-actuatingjacks to the low heights preparatory to commencement of a repeatedknitting cycle, and wherein those intermediate pivoted needle-actuatingjacks which at any feed pass at a low height are drawn out to positiontheir operating butts radially outwards by virtue of the correspondingpresser jacks being acted upon and drawn out.
 2. A method of knittingsimilar to that specified in claim 1 but extended to the production ofmulti-color jacquard patterning comprising more than two colors onsuccessive groups each of more than two feeds and using in conjunctionwith each of such feed group, a number of pattern units one less thanthe said number of colors.
 3. A multi-feed circular knitting machinewherein the feeds are arranged around the machine in successive groupseach of the same number so as to be capable of producing repetitions ofthe same patterning cycle, and which includes, in combination, a trickedneedle cylinder; needles operating in the tricks in said cylinder;needle-actuating jacks, with operating butts, mounted beneath the saidneedles; cams acting on said butts to produce patterning effects; thesaid jacks, in addition to being movable heightwise by the said cams,being also capable of selective pivotal movement radially into theirtricks towards the axis of the cylinder so as to initiate selectiveactuation of the needles; pattern units at desired feeds, each of thEseunits exercising selective and individual control over the pivotedneedle-actuating jacks; and patterning butts associated with said jacksand through the medium of which the latter are controlled, saidpatterning butts being so arranged as to be selectively pressed intowards the cylinder axis by each pattern unit in turn: the said machinebeing characterized in that the section of the cam system at each ofrelevant feeds, includes, in addition to a clearing cam and a stitchcam, a jack raising cam adapted for action upon the operating butts ofthose pivoted needle-actuating jacks which are left with their butts inradially outward positions as the result of selective action whichcauses the needle-actuating jacks to be operated by means of a patternunit located in advance of said jack raising cam; a portion of cam trackat an intermediate height immediately following the jack raising cam andinto which the operating butts of the said jacks can be directed; adownwardly sloping cam face for so directing the said butts; are-setting cam at the leading end of the said portion of cam track foreffecting outward movement of the remaining jacks previously movedinwardly by the selective action of the aforesaid pattern unit; and,following the re-setting cam, a jack depressor cam either at the sameintermediate height as the aforementioned portion of cam track or at alow height, the said jack depressor cam being adapted to automaticallyact on the outer ends of the operating butts of the outwardly movedjacks at the said intermediate or low height suchwise as to depressthese butts into the cylinder, and wherein said needle-actuating jacksare intermediate pivoted needle-actuating jacks which are disposeddirectly beneath the needles in the same cylinder tricks and areprovided with tails engaged in forked upper ends of selector members inthe form of swivelling presser jacks furnished with said patterningbutts for direct action upon by the pattern units, wherein there-setting cam in each corresponding section of the cam system is in theform of a draw-out cam arranged to act on extensions of the swivellingpresser jacks.
 4. A multi-feed circular knitting machine wherein thefeeds are arranged around the machine in successive groups each of thesame number so as to be capable of producing repetitions of the samepatterning cycle, and which includes, in combination, a tricked needlecylinder; needles operating in the tricks of said cylinder;needle-actuating jacks, with operating butts, mounted beneath the saidneedles; cams acting on said butts to produce patterning effects; thesaid jacks, in addition to being movable heightwise by the said cams,being also capable of selective pivotal movement radially into theirtricks towards the axis of the cylinder so as to initiate selectiveactuation of the needles; pattern units at desired feeds, each of theseunits exercising selective and individual control over the pivotedneedle-actuating jacks; and patterning butts associated with said jacksand through the medium of which the latter are controlled, saidpatterning butts being so arranged as to be selectively pressed intowards the cylinder axis by each pattern unit in turn: the said machinebeing characterized in that the section of the cam system at each ofrelevant feeds, includes, in addition to a clearing cam and a stitchcam, a jack raising cam adapted for action upon the operating butts ofthose pivoted needle-actuating jacks which are left with their butts inradially outward positions as the result of selective action whichcauses the needle-actuating jacks to be operated by means of a patternunit located in advance of said jack raising cam; a portion of cam trackat an intermediate height immediately following the jack raising cam andinto which the operating butts of the said jacks can be directed; adownwardly sloping cam face for so directing the said butts; are-setting cam at the leading end of the said portion of cam track foreffecting outward movement of The remaining jacks previously movedinwardly by the selective action of the aforesaid pattern unit; and,following the re-setting cam, a jack depressor cam either at the sameintermediate height as the aforementioned portion of cam track or at alow height, the said jack depressor being adapted to automatically acton the outer ends of the operating butts of the outwardly moved jacks atthe said intermediate or low height suchwise as to depress these buttsinto the cylinder, and wherein a lowering cam located above the jackraising cam in each corresponding section of the cam system is providedwith the downwardly sloping cam face for action upon outwardlypositioned operating butts or relevant pivoted needle-actuating jacks tolower the latter to the intermediate height, and there is provided abovethe said lowering cam a horizontal landing cam on to which can be landedupper outwardly directed butts on those needle-actuating jacks whoseoperating butts, previously lifted by the raising cam, have been actedupon by the aforesaid downwardly sloping cam face, a space beingprovided between the lower face of the landing cam and the upper face ofthe lowering cam to receive and locate heightwise the said upper buttsof needle-actuating jacks previously moved inwardly by the selectiveaction of a pattern unit located in advance of the jack raising cam. 5.A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 4, whereineach corresponding section of the cam system also includes an auxiliarylowering cam for action upon operating butts of the pivotedneedle-actuating jacks, said auxiliary lowering cam being displaceableheightwise from an upper inoperative position to a lower operativeposition in which it provides a downward extension of the downwardlysloping cam face on the main lowering cam above the jack raising cam,for the purpose described.
 6. A multi-feed circular knitting machineaccording to claim 5, wherein the auxiliary lowering cam in eachcorresponding section of the cam system and an associated horizontallanding cam disposed directly above it are both provided on a commonvertically displaceable slide, the said landing cam, whenever theauxiliary cam is in its raised inoperative position, being at the samelevel as and constituting an extension of the said landing cam.
 7. Amulti-feed circular knitting machine wherein the feeds are arrangedaround the machine in successive groups each of the same number so as tobe capable of producing repetitions of the same patterning cycle, andwhich includes, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needlesoperating in the tricks in said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, withoperating butts, mounted beneath the said needles; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising selectiveand individual control over the pivoted needle-actuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through the medium ofwhich the latter are controlled, said patterning butts being so arrangedas to be selectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by eachpattern unit in turn: the said machine being characterized in that thesection of the cam system at each of relevant feeds, includes, inaddition to a clearing cam and a stitch cam, a jack raising cam adaptedfor action upon the operating butts of those pivoted needle-actuatingjacks which are left with their butts in radially outward positions asthe result of selective action which causes the needle-actuating jacksto be operated by means of a pattern unit located in advance of saidjack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate heightimmediately following the jack raising cam and into which the operatingbutts of the said jacks Can be directed; a downwardly sloping cam facefor so directing the said butts; a re-setting cam at the leading end ofthe said portion of cam track for effecting outward movement of theremaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of theaforesaid pattern unit; and, following the re-setting cam, a jackdepressor cam either at the same intermediate height as theaforementioned portion of cam track or at a low height, the said jackdepressor cam being adapted to automatically act on the outer ends ofthe operating butts of the outwardly moved jacks at the saidintermediate or low height suchwise as to depress these butts into thecylinder, and wherein each of the pivoted needle-actuating jacks is alsofurnished with an inwardly directed butt which is adapted, whenever thejack is moved inwardly by action upon its operating butt of a jackdepressor cam at the intermediate height, to locate upon an outwardlydirected projection provided on an insert secured in and at the back ofthe corresponding cylinder trick behind the needle-actuating jack.
 8. Amulti-feed circular knitting machine wherein the feeds are arrangedaround the machine in successive groups each of the same number so as tobe capable of producing repetitions of the same patterning cycle, andwhich includes, in combination, a tricked needle cylinder; needlesoperating in the tricks in said cylinder; needle-actuating jacks, withoperating butts, mounted beneath the said needles; cams acting on saidbutts to produce patterning effects; the said jacks, in addition tobeing movable heightwise by the said cams, being also capable ofselective pivotal movement radially into their tricks towards the axisof the cylinder so as to initiate selective actuation of the needles;pattern units at desired feeds, each of these units exercising selectiveand individual control over the pivoted needle-actuating jacks; andpatterning butts associated with said jacks and through the medium ofwhich the latter are controlled, said patterning butts being so arrangedas to be selectively pressed in towards the cylinder axis by eachpattern unit in turn: the said machine being characterized in that thesection of the cam system at each of relevant feeds, includes, inaddition to a clearing cam and a stitch cam, a jack raising cam adaptedfor action upon the operating butts of those pivoted needle-actuatingjacks which are left with their butts in radially outward positions asthe result of selective action which causes the needle-actuating jacksto be operated by means of a pattern unit located in advance of saidjack raising cam; a portion of cam track at an intermediate heightimmediately following the jack raising cam and into which the operatingbutts of the said jacks can be directed; a downwardly sloping cam facefor so directing the said butts; a re-setting cam at the leading end ofthe said portion of cam track for effecting outward movement of theremaining jacks previously moved inwardly by the selective action of theaforesaid pattern unit; and, following the re-setting cam, a jackdepressor cam either at the same intermediate height as theaforementioned portion of cam track or at a low height, the said jackdepressor cam being adapted to automatically act on the outer ends ofthe operating butts of the outwardly moved jacks at the saidintermediate or low height suchwise as to depress these butts into thecylinder, and wherein the jack depressor cam in each correspondingsection of the cam system is movable vertically downwards to a positionbelow the portion of cam track at the intermediate height.
 9. Amulti-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein thejack depressor cam and a guard cam disposed immediately above it areboth provided on a common vertically displaceable slide.